Eoad engine



(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet l.

H. K. SAMS.

ROAD ENGINE.

Patented Feb. 5, 1889'.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets--Sheet 2.

H. K. SAMS. ROAD ENGINE.

No. 397,144. 1 Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

N. PETERS. Pholaumogmphcr. wnhinglun. DI C.

sheets-,Sheena H. K. SAMS. ROAD ENGINE.

(No Model.)

N0.397,144. Patented Peb. 5, 1889.

WI TJV'ESSES Ezwywfzz Attorneys" N pneus. vhommmgnpher. wmingmn. In;

(No Model.) I 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

H. K. SAMS. ROAD ENGINE. N0. 397,144. Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

WJTJVESSES, Liv VENTOR z 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. H. K. SAMS. ROAD ENGINE.

(No Model.)

N0. 397,144. Patented Feb. 5, 1889.l

WITNESSES MbZea/@ZZ N. PETERS, PhnkLhographur` Washinglcn. |10.

PATENT Tries.

IlEZEKIAlI K. SAMS, OF JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE.

ROAD-ENGINE.

SECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,144, dated February 5, 1889. Application filed April 9, 1888. Serial No. 270,056. (No model.)

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEZEKIAH K. SAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Johnson City, in the county of \Vashington and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road Engines or Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to wh ich it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates, generally, to road engines or vehicles propelled by any suitable power-generator, but more especially7 to those which are propelled by foot-power;A and it Consists in such an engine or vehicle provided with a number of levers connected to and ope ated by each other through suitable gearing which communicates rotary movement to a central shaft from which the axles are driven; with gear-wheels upon the axles which will admit of said gear-wheels being driven while the vehicle is being turned; with steering mechanism for turning both axles in turning the engine or vehicle; with lugs upon the hubs of the wheels and cups upon the axles which will admit of one wheel remaining stationary temporarily while turning said engine or vehicle, while the other wheel will be revolved by the axle; with improved means for changing the speed of the engine or vehicle; with improved means for reversing the revolutions of the wheels, and with an improved connection between the axles and the engine or vehicle frame which will dispense with the orr'iinary king-bolt; and it furthermore consists in the improved construction and arrangement or combination of parts of such an engine or vehicle which will hereinafter be fully disclosed in the description, drawings, and claims.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide an engine or vehicle which can be propelled b v any suitable power-generator, preferably, however, by foot-power, and in which a small amount of power maybe so increased by levers and gearing as to overcome great resistance and propel or draw an immense burden; second, to provide an engine or vehicle which may have vits wheels revolved by the propelling in echanism equally as well when turning on curves as when propelled in a straight line; third, to provide means for permitting the wheels at one side of the engine or vehicle to revolve slower than the wheels on the other side; fourth, to provide means for changing the speed of the powergenerator, of whatever character it may be; fifth, to provide means for reversing the engine or vehicle without reversing the motion of the power-generator; and, sixth, to provide a fifth-wheel connection between the axles of the Vehicle and the frame which will admit of the gear-wheels for communicating'motion to the axles being placed upon the center of the axles.

In the accompanying drawings, vforming a part of this speciiication, and in which the same reference-numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, Figure l represents atop plan view of my improved road engine or vehicle, the body thereof being removed; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 4, a transverse section on line fn u of Fig. l; Fig. 5, a transverse section along one of the axles and through one pair of the road-wheels and their hubs and cups; Fig. 6, a top plan view of one of the axles, its fifth-wheel and gear-wheel,` and other parts; Fig. 7, a perspective detail view of one end of the axle, its cup, and the hub of the wheel, showing the hub removed from the spindle and in position to be again placed upon the same; and Fig. 8 a detail side elevation of part of the steeringmechanism.

In the drawings, the numeral l indicates the various parts of the engine or vehicle frame, which may be of any suitable construction, according to the character of the vehicle, and upon the same are mounted bearings for the transverse shafts of the propelling mechanism.

A transverse shaft, 2, is journaled in bearings 3 in the forward end of the frame, and has two ratchet-wheels, el, and two cog-wheels, 5, secured upon it. Two foot-levers, 6, are fulcrumed upon said shaft and provided with bifurcated forward portions, 7, as shown in Figs. l and 2, which straddle said ratchetwheels and are provided. with upwardly-projecting seinicircular frames S. Pawls Q are ICQ pivoted between the Vforward ends of the bifurcated portions of said levers and between. the upper points of said upwardly-projecting semicircular frames and engage the teeth of said ratehet-wheels for turning the same when the rear ends of said levers having the treadles l0 are depressed. cured to the frame, below the levers (i and slightly to the rear of the shaft- 2, which ful- `cruni said levers and serve to raise said levers after they have been depressed and the feet removed.

The cog-wheels 5 upon the shaft 2 mesh with smaller cog-wheels, l2, `upon a shaft, i3, having cog-wheels 14, which mesh with pinions l5 upon a shaft, 15, which mesh with still smaller pinions, 1G, upon crank-shafts 1T,

Springs ll are seprovided with cranks 1S, one at each end, the i arms lt) of these cranks being, preferably, ad-

justably secured in transverse perfor-ations 2O i in the ends of said crank-shafts. 'lhe pins 2l of these cranks are iitted to revolve and play within longitudinaliy-slotted frames 22, having downwardly-projecting arms 23, formed with sleeves 24, having set-screws 25, by means et' which said frames lmay be adjustably cured upon the forward ends of four levers, 2U, which pass rearward under the vehicle-frame for some distance, thence upwardly and rearwardly, and have their rear ends fulerruned upon a shaft, 27, journaled in bearings Q8 at the rear end of the vehicle-frame. (See Fi l, Zand The rear portions of these levers are also bifurcated and straddle the ratchetwheels 29 upon the shaft 27, and have upwardly-curved frames 30, and also pawls 3], which are pivoted between the upper portions of said frames and rear ends of the bifurcated portions of said levers and engage the teeth of said ratchet-wheels.

Cog-wheels 252, as shown in liig. l, are secured upon the shaft 27, and mesh with pinions upon a shaft, 3l, having cog-wheels 35 meshing with pinions 3G, which mesh with pinions 37 upon erank-shafts The arms of the cranks 39 are adjustably secured in perforations in the ends of said shaft .in a manner similar to that by which the arms of the cranks are secured at the forward end of the frame, and have their pins 23" sliding Vin longitudinally-slottwl frames l0, which are adjustably secured by arms l l, sleeves l2, and set-screws i3 upon the rear endsof four levers, 4l, in the same manner as the levers 26 are secured at the forward end of the engine or vehicle.

The forward bifureated portions, l5, of the levers il, as shown in Fig l and 3, are fulerumed upon a central. main or drive shaft, +Le, journaled in bearings 4.7 at the .middle of the frame, straddle the cog or ratchet wheels i8, and have ul'iwardly extending curved frames l5). Pawls 50 are pivoted between the outer and inner ends of the bifurcated portions 45, engage the cogs of the cog or ratchet wheels 48 from opposite sides, and are capable of being tilted out of engagement with said wheels; also, double-ended or reversible pawls 5l are pivoted between the `frames -l-i), and are capable of engaging said cog or rz'ttchet wheels with either of their ends.

\\'hen the levers ift are rocked, it will be seen. that the wheels l-S and the shaft At6 may be revolved in one direction, when the pawls 50, between the .front ends of the bifurcated arms and the rear endsof the upper pawls, 5l,

are tilted into engagement with said wheels, and that this revolution may be reversed by tilting said forward pawls 5t) out ol.' engagement, the rear pawls 5() into engagement, and the Vfront ends of the upper pawls, 5l, into enga gel n ei 1 t. il"

A small cog-wheel, 52, having a peripherally-grooved hub or sleeve, 53, as shown in Figs.` l and l-, slides upon and turns with the main shaft lli, and has a groove in its bore which adapts it to be slid upon a key on said shaft, or any equivalent contrivalme for allowing it to be slid maybe used. A larger cog-wheel, 54.-, has a similar peripherally-grooved hub or sleeve, 55, which slides upon and turns with said main shaft. lins or studs 56 project downward into the grooves of these hubs or sleeves `from levers 57, which are suitably pivot ed lupon the frame and extend rearward and terminatenear the treaill es of the foot-levers (5; hence it will be seen that the cog-wheels and 5l maybe slid upon their shaft and into or out of engagement with the cog-wheels or pinions with which they mesh. The smaller cog-wheel, meshes with two cog-wheels, 5S, upon two transverse shafts, 5i), which are respectively forward and to the rear of the main shaft -l-G, said shafts 59 lhaving pinious il() upon them, which are adapted to mesh with the larger cog-wheel, 5l, upon said main shaft when ,the said wheel is slid into engagement with said pinions, and thus the speed of the engine or vehicle may be vari ed. pinions (il upon shafts L32, having cog-wheels (i3, which mesh with pinions (il: upon shafts G5, having cog-wheels (3U, meshing with partlyspherical cog-wheels G7 upon the axles US. These cog-wheels U7 have their wide periph.- cries formed of a portion of a sphere, so that they may remain in engagement with the cogwheels (36 when the axles are turned in turn' ing the engine or vehicle or in passing it around curves. Y

As shown` more plainly in Fig. the axles (5S are jourualed in boxes or bearings es', havin suitable Babbitt metal or similar anti- .friction linings, (if), and are secured upon the under sides of fifth-wheels 70, whiehform the greater parts of circles, and which are cutout at their inner sides, and through which the cogwheels Gli, meshing with the partlyspherical cog-wheels (i7, project; also, these Iifth-wheels turn within sixth-wheels 7l, which also form parts o f circles, and which have down wardly-pioiecting flanges 7i upon their inner edges for confining said. fifthwheels and securing them to the frame. The

The cow-wheels also mesh with IOO sixth-wheels confine the vfifth-wheels in place and serve to perform the office of king-bolts; also, the couplings between the frame and the axles are thus in a plane but slightly above the plane of the axles, whereby the entire propelling mechanism is supported comparatively low down between the wheels, and the body of the engine or vehicle, which is supported above said mechanism and upon the frame, is not supported su fficiently high above the axles to cause said body to be top-heavy.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the ends of the axles (5S are provided with cups 723,'through which the spindles 7i project, and the inner sides of said cups are formed with three (more or less) lugs or ribs, 7 5; also, the inner portions of the hubs 7 (5 of the wheels 77 are formed with corresponding ribs or lugs, 7S, which project into said cups, the ribs or lugs 7S of the hubs being adapted to bear against the ribs or lugs 75 in the cups. rlhe wheels are retained upon the spindles by nuts 79,011 by anyother suitable or well-known fastenings.

A rock-shaft, 80, as shown in Figs l, 2, f3, and S, is journaled in bearings S l toward the forward end of the vehicle-frame, and has at each end an upwardly and a downwardly projecting arm, 82 and S3, and also a downwardly and forwardly projecting arm, S4, near one end, to the end of which is attached the forward end of a connecting-rod, S5, the rear end of the latter being attached to the lower arm of the steering-lever 8G; also, rods S7, which are provided with boxes 8S at their forward ends, in which the front axle may turn, are pivoted at their rear ends, respectively, one to the upwardly-projecting arm S2 and the other to the downwardly-proj eeting arm 83 at the ends of the rock-shaft; also, rods 89 are providml with boxes 90 'at their rear ends for the rear axle, and have turn-buckles Ol upon their middles for adjusting their length, and at their forward ends they are pivoted respectively one to the downwardly-projecting arm S3 and the other to the upwardly-projecting arm S2, and thus lit will be seen that by tilting the steering-lever SG and rocking shaft SO lthe ends of the axles at one side of l the vehicle may hel drawn together and the y ends at the other side pushed apart, so as to turn theaxles and guide the engine or ve-i hicle in a curve, the steering-lever SU, thei rtwk-slnaft SO, the arms 8:2 and 83, and the l rods S7 and Sil, between the axles and the arms of the rock-shaft, thus serving to variably guide said engine or lvehicle while being propelled. 'lhis engine or vehicle is capable of carrying, drawing, er propelling heavy` loads, with unusual power and rapid ity, by the i application of very small weight or pressure l upon the treadles of the foot-levers, as the l initial power is great-ly increased or multiplied by the number and arrangement of the l levers and the intermediate gearing; also, l whenever it is desired to reverse the motion of this engine or vehicle, the pawls engaging l the cog-wheels or ratchet-wheels upon the i main shaft only require to be reversed, when said shaft will be reversed a-nd the vehicle propelled in the desired direction.

By the employment of four levers in each of the two sets of levers, which are rocked by the cranks at the opposite ends of the engine or vehicle the shafts, which are revolved by the pawls of said levers engaging the cog or ratchet wheels upon said shafts, will be continually revolved, as one or more levers of the respective sets will be revolvin the shaft or shafts by their pawls engaging the wheels, while the remaining lever or levers are being rocked to bring their pawls again into position to take fresh hold upon the teeth of the wheels, and thus there will be no dead-centers in the propelling devices, a part of the power being at all times applied in revolving the drive or main shaft.

lVheu only a moderate speed is desired for the engine orvehicle, with a proportionate power, the smaller cog-wheel upon the driveshaft is thrown into engagement with its appropriate cog-wheels, and th en the larger cogwheel is thrown out of engagement with its pinions; also, whenever it is desired to have greater speed, increasing the same at the expense of power, this may be done by throwing the smaller cog-wheel upon said driveshaft out of engagement with its large cogwheels, and then throwing the larger cogwheels upon said drive-shaft into engagement with the small pinions or cog-wheels with which -it is adapted to mesh, and thus the speed of the vehicle or engine may be increased without increasing the speed of the initial power applied to the foot-levers.

Any power may be employed for propelling this engine or vehicle-as, for instance, it may be run by steam, when it would only be necessary to mount the steam-cylinders upon the frame and connect their pistons to cranks attached to the rear ends of the foot-levers;

but the preferred power-generator, as shown l in the drawings and hereinbefore described, is one which is suitable for the employmentof foot-power.

Having thus fully described the construetion, arrangement or combination, and operation of the several parts of my invention and its advantages, what I claim as new isl. In a road engine or vehicle, the combination of the frame, the wheels, and the axles, with the main or drive shaft provided with one or more central cog-wheels, and also with cog or ratchet wheels, a train of gearing connecting said main shaft and axles, levers fulcrnmed upon said main shaft and provided with pawls for enga-ging said cog or ratchet wheels, cranks pivotal ly connected for vibrating the ends of said levers, and mechanism for imparting rotary motion to said cranks, substantially as described.

2. 'In a road engine or vehicle, the combination of the frame, the wheels, and the axles, with a drive-shaft provided with cog or ratchet wheels, gearing for tran smit-ting the motion IOO IIO

of said shaft to said axles, levers fnlcrmned upon said drive shaft and provided with pawls for engaging' said cog or ratchet wheels, and with 'slotted frames at their rear ends, crank mechanism for viljn'ating said fra-mes, a shaft.provided with cog or ratchet wheels, gea-ring between the same and said crank mechanism, levers fulcrumed upon said shaft and provided with pawls for engaging said cog or ratchet wheels and with slotted frames at their front ends, crank mechanism for vibrating' said frames and levers, a shaft provided with cog-wheels, and also with cog or ratchet wheels gearing intermediate of the same and said crank mechanism, and levers fulcrumed upon said shaft and operated from their rear ends, substantially as described.

3. In a road engine or vehicle, the combination, with the frame, the axles, and their wheels, of a d rive-shaft provided with four cog or ratchet wheels, gearing for communicating the revolutions of said shaft to said axles, levers fulcrumed upon said d rive-shaft and provided with pawls for engaging said cog-wheels or ratchet-wheels and. with longitudinal]y-slotted frames at their rear ends, shafts provided with cranks upon their ends, having pins which revolve and play within the slots of the said frames, a shaft having four cog or ratchet wheels, gearingbetween the same and said crank-shafts, levers fulerumed upon said shaft and provided with pawls for engaging said cog or ratchet wheels, and with longitudinally-slotted frames at their fron t en ds, crankshafts provided with pins which revolve and play within the slots of said frames, a shaft provided wit-l1 cog-wheels, intermediate gearing between the same and said crank-shafts, said shaft being' also provided with two cog or ratchet wheels, and two foot-levers provided with treadles upon their rear ends, and which are fulcrumed upon said shaft, and with pawls engaging said cog or ratchet wheels, substantially as described. y

4. In a road engine or vehicle, the combination of the foot-levers 6, the crank-shafts 38, and intermediate gearing between said crankshafts and foot-levers, with the drive-shaft 4t, provided with the cog-wheels 4S, and the 1e- Yvers la, pivoted upon said drive-shaft and provided at their front ends with bifurcated portions 5, 'having seinieireular frames 49, pawls 50 in the ends of said bifurcated portions, and pawls 5l in the upper portions of said semicircular frames, and at their rear ends with longitudinally-slotted frames l0, which4 are connected to and vi brated by said crank-shafts, substantially as described.

l'n a road engine or vehicle, the combination of the crank-shafts 3S, the arms 39, adj ustz'tbly secured in perforations in the ends thereof and provided with crank-pins 39', the vibra-tory levers 4t, the loi1gitudinally-slotted frames 40, mounted upon said crank-pins and provided with the dowmvardlyprojecting arms 4l, having sleeves 42, fitted upon the ends of said levers and adjustable thereon by the set-screws 43, substantially las and for the purpose described.

The combination of the frame provided with the sixth-wheel forming part of a eircle which is open at the inner side and having a downwardly-projecting flange upon its inner edge, a correspondiugly-shaped fifthwheel fitted within said hanged sixth-wheel and provided with boxes or bearings upon its under side, the wheel-axle journaled in said boxes or bearings, and having a gear-wheel upon its middle, and gearing' projecting through the open sides of said fth and sixth wheels, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the frame provided with the sixth-wheel forming part of a circle which is open at the :inner side and having a downwardly-projecting fiange upon its iuner edge, a cog-wheel and its shaft journaled in bearings in said frame, means for driving said cog-wheel, which partly projects through the open side of said sixth-wheel, a fifth-wheel fitted within said flanged sixth-wheel and having a shape corresponding thereto and provided with boxes or bearings upon its under side, and a wheel-axle journaled in said boxes or bearings an d provided with a partlyspherical cog-wheel which meshes with said cog-wheel which is journaled in the frame, substantially as described.

8. The combination oitl the frame and the wheel-axle journaled in bearings on the under side of said frame and provided with cups at its ends and with spindles proj ectin g through said cups, which are provided with lugs or ribs upon their inner sides, with the wheels journaled upon said spindles and provided with hubs, also having lugs or ribs upon their inner parts which project and fit into said cups, and are adapted to permit their lugs or ribs to bear against. those within said cups, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination of the frame l, the pivoted axles 68, adapted to turn in one plane beneath said frame, the rock-shaft 80, provided at its ends with the upwardly and downwardly projecting arms 82 and S3, and with the arm 84 near one end,the downwardly and forwardly extending rods S7, having boxes SS at their forward ends for the front axle and having their rear ends respectively pivoted to one of said upwardly-project-ing arms S2 at one end of said rock-shaft and to one of said downwardlyprojecting arms 83 at the other end of said shaft, the two rearwardly-extending` rods 8S), provided with turn-buckles 91 for adjusting their length, and with boxes 90 at their rear ends for the rear axle, and respectively pivoted at their fory Yard ends, one to the upwardly-projecting arm S2 at one end of said rock-shaft and the other to the downwardly-projecting arm 83 at the other end of said shaft, the steering-lever 8G, and the connecting-rod 85, pivoted thereto and to said arm 84, substantially as and for the purpose den scribed.

lOO

IIO

l0. A road engine or vehicle provided with the two pivoted axles 0S, having eogavheels (37 at their centers, which have the shape of parts of spheres, the main or drive shaft 46, provided with vtour oog or ratehet wheels, 4S, and oog-wheels 52 and 5l, intermediate gear or oog wheels between said cog-wheels upon the drive-shaft and said partly-spherical oogwheels upon the axles, the levers 44,fulerun1 r\,d upon said drive shaft and provided with pawls 50 and 5l, pivoted between their bifureated ends i5 and between their ourved ii'ranies i9, and with the longitudiiIally-slotted frames LO at their rear ends, the crank-shafts 3%,having pins 259', playing and revolving in said longitudinally-slotted frames, the shaft 27, provided with t'our ratchet-wheels, 29, and with cog-wheels 32, gearing vfor Communicating Inotion thereto t'roin said crank-shafts, the levers 26, provided at their rear portions with bifureated ends 30, which straddle said .ratchet-wheels, are fuleruined upon said shaft 27, and have pawls 31, engaging' with said ratchet-wheels, said pawls being pivoted between the ends of said levers and between Aframes 30, curving upward from their bifureated ends, said levers 2G being provided at their vforward ends with. lon gitudinally-slotted frames 22, the Crank-shafts 1S, having their pins 2l moving in said frames 22A/he shaft 2, having two eog or ratchet wheels, 4l, and ooggears 5, intermediate gearing between said oog-gears and said erank-shai'l's,tl1e two footlevers (i, having treadles i0 upon their rear ends, the springs l l 'for raising them, said levers being fuleruined at their vforward parts upon said shaft l and provided with bifureated ends 7, whieh siiraddle said Cog or ratchet wheels, and are provided with pawls 9 ifor moving said oog or rai'ehet wheelsJ substantially as deseribed.

ln testimony lwhereof l al'lix Iny sigimture in presence oli' two witnesses.

Ii'EZEKl/Xll K. SAMS.

Witnesses:

WILEY M. CHRISTIAN, TENNESSEE II. H. LUsK. 

